Astros name Hader, Phillips top minor league players

The Astros have named left-handed pitcher Josh Hader as Minor League Pitcher of the Year and outfielder Brett Phillips as Minor League Player of the Year.

Hader and Phillips will be honored during the pregame ceremonies on Sunday, prior to the Astros 1:10 p.m. game vs. Seattle. Both players will be available to the media at 11:30 a.m. in the Astros dugout. They are also scheduled to sign autographs on the main concourse prior to the pregame ceremonies.

Hader, 20, posted a 10-3 record with a 3.28 ERA (45ER/123.1IP) in 27 combined appearances (19 starts) at Class A Lancaster and Double A Corpus Christi, tallying 136 strikeouts in 123.1 innings of work, while allowing just 92 hits. He also earned two saves. Hader, who was acquired by the Astros from Baltimore on July 31, 2013, as part of the Bud Norris trade, earned California League Pitcher of the Year honors for his success at Lancaster, where he was 9-2 in 22 appearances (15 starts) with a league-best 2.70 ERA. Hader was named to the California League Postseason All-Star team as well.

Phillips, 20, hit .310 (153x493) in 130 combined games at Quad Cities and Lancaster with 29 doubles, 14 triples, 17 home runs, 68 RBI and 23 stolen bases with a .529 slugging pct. and a .905 OPS. After starting the season with Quad Cities, Phillips was promoted to Lancaster, where he played a key role in the JetHawks championship season, hitting .339 in 27 games with four home runs and 10 RBI while posting a .980 OPS. Batting leadoff, Phillips was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI in Monday night's 10-2, title-clinching win over Visalia. While at Quad Cities, Phillips was the youngest starter for the Western Division squad in the Midwest League All-Star Game. Phillips was selected by the Astros in the sixth round of the 2012 MLB First Year Player Draft.